The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, has placed a GHC2,000 bounty on the head of the alleged soothsayer who led the murder of 90-year-old Ekua Denteh in the Savannah Region.
The soothsayer and her accomplice stormed the East Gonja Municipality of the region to drive out witches, accused of hampering the progress of the town folks.
The deceased was accused of witchcraft by the soothsayer, Selina and her accomplice.
Speaking in an interview on Accra-based TV3, the Savannah Regional Police Commander, DCOP Enoch Bediako said the two women who led the gruesome murder have absconded.
He revealed the IGP had placed the said bounty on the head of the soothsayer who had only been identified as Selina.
”The fetish priestess is called Selina and she is based in Yeji. But at the moment, she is at large. The IGP has initiated a reward of GHC2,000 to anybody who can give the police credible information leading to the arrest of Selina so that she can face the law,” DCOP Bediako said.
Some 48 hours after Ekua Denteh was lynched in the full glare of a large crowd, the police are yet to effect any arrest.
According to him, the Chief of the town, as well as the Assemblyman who had been invited by the police to assist in investigation, failed to turn up. The chief called in sick on Saturday morning, he said.
He said the police could only apply diplomacy in their investigation.
”In real sense, nobody had made a complaint against the chief. So we have to be careful and tactful so that we can get some information from the chief. That’s is why we are being diplomatic as at now.”
DCOP Bediako, however, denied reports that the practice of killing the aged in the society was a usual occurrence in his jurisdiction.
Several individuals, groups, and Human Rights activists have vehemently condemned the killing of the frail 90-year-old woman.
There has been mounting pressure on the police to arrest the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
Ekua Denteh according to reports was dragged 800 meters away from her home only to be beaten to death by her attackers in broad day light.
She was hit, kicked and whipped by the two women as the large crowd cheered them on.
The deceased was seen in a viral video pleading with her attackers to spare her life as she denied the accusations of being a witch.
But her pleas were flatly rejected by her abusers who led her killing.
